Folding crate.



'PATENTED FEB. 10. 1903.

No. 72Q,328. v G. J. GLINE.

FOLDING CRATE. I APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26, 1902.

'10 MODEL.

anveui'oz a m a z n t G anus I UNITED STATES GEORGE J. CLINE, OF GOSIIEN, INDIANA..

PATENT OFFICE FOLDING CRATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 720,328, dated February 10, 1903. Application filed September 26. 1902. Serial No. 124,848. (No model.)

To all whom it rnwy concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE J. CLINE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Goshen, in the county of Elkhart and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Grates, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in folding crates; and the main object of the invention is the provision of a crate of simple and durable construction, which is especially adapted for the transportation of all various kinds of produce or, in fact, any article which is shipped to a certain destination and after which has been removed has its package or crate collapsed and returned to the'sender.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a folding crate which is provided with end and side pieces having top and bottom rails, the rails of the end pieces providing rails for a folding bottom or top of the crate and the rails of the side pieces providing a frame to which is secured the hinged top or bottom, thus producing a package which when folded will have the ends and sides in substantially the same line and providing spaces or compartments for the reception of the bottom and lid.

To this end I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings a crate constructed in accordance with and embodying my invention.

Figure 1 is a perspective View of the complete crate with a number of the panels removed to clearly show the construction of the frame thereof. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the crate slightly folded, showing the top and bottom in the position they assume when the crate is entirely folded. Fig. 3 is a detailed View of one of the ends and a portion of the sides and bottom to clearly show the position when the crate is extended. Figs. 4 and 5 are detailed views of hinges used upon my crate.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates the front section, 2 the rear section, and 3 the two end sections of my folding crate. The front and rear sections are constructed substantially alike and are formed of the two parallel upper and lower rectangular frame pieces or strips 4, which are provided with openings in their ends to receive pivots 5, which'pass through the openings in the ends of the top and bottom rails 6 of the ends of the crate. These top and bottom rails of the ends are above and below, respectively, the-ends of the front and rear section frame-strips, and thereby form rims or recesses 7 for the sides of the hinged bottom 8, which is secured to the lower frame-strip of either the front or rear section of the crate. Said bottom when the crate is in a collapsed position occupies the space between the vertical panels 9 of the front or rear section and the inner face 10 of the connecting-frame of said sections, thus providing when the crate is folded a separate compartment for both the bottom and the top 11, which is carried by the top frame-piece of the opposite front or rear section, the top being adapted to fold outwardly and rest upon the opposed top frame-strip of either the front or rear section.

In order to make a comparatively inexpensive hinge for the bottom and top, I employ the staples 12, which are secured to the lower frame-piece of either the front or rear section and to which are hingedly secured the straight pieces 13 of wire, whose outer ends are secured to the central portion of the bottom or top, thus making the removal of the bottom or top easier.

In order to cheaply secure the end sections and the other sections together, I provide an inclined opening 14 in the ends of the top and bottom rails of the end sections and pass therethrough a piece of wire 15, which is bent at its short terminal 16 upon the bottom of the rail and has its longer terminal 17 passing through the opening in the frame-piece of the front and rear sections, where they may be properly bent and held in position, so as to form a pivot-joint for the corners of the crate.

From this description, taken in connection with the drawings, it is evident that I provide a folding or collapsible crate which is simple, durable, and cheap in construction, thus producing a thoroughly practical and useful crate.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A folding crate,com prising two opposed sections, a top and a bottom rail carried upon the inner side of said sections, two end sechinged and when in use to rest upon the bottom rails of the end sections in the space between the bottom raiis of the first-mentioned sections.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE J. OLINE.

\Vitnesses:

JOHN F. SCOTT. ENG. HENRY T. Buss. 

